What to do against Ticks

Hot, humid… the perfect season for ticks. These small parasites are becoming increasingly common in Europe and can carry numerous diseases, some of which are serious and can be transmitted to humans.

How can you tackle the ticks? What’s the best way to protect your dog and yourself? Let’s take a look.

The weather is still nice, the days are warm: ideal for a nice country walk. But watch out! While ticks are a danger all year round, they are particularly active in the autumn months.

Ticks can be found almost everywhere and some species are invasive. We should all be careful when walking in the woods or through fields, but also in city parks and our own gardens. Ticks like to hang on to tall blades of grass, waiting for their chance to strike. A tick species, the brown dog tick, is even specialized to feed on dogs and to survive in indoor and dry environments like homes and kennels! CO2 from breathing, body heat and natural odours are all signals to the tick that a “host” is nearby: a dog or a human. Mammals are tick magnets. They latch onto skin or hair, crawl to a sensible spot and dig in. This is the start of a blood meal which will last for several days!

One bite, many diseases

Diseases are transmitted during the tick’s meal. They can be serious, or even deadly: for example piroplasmosis, a parasite which kills red blood cells and induces fever and extreme fatigue. Even more serious is Lyme disease, which can affect dogs as well as humans. The symptoms are fever, fatigue, aches, pains and trouble moving.

Don’t forget to brush your dog down when you get back from your walk. Pay close attention to the genitals and rear areas, as well as behind the ears. “The quicker you catch it, the more chances you have to prevent the disease transmission” explains Dr. Jean-François, a veterinary based in Paris. “If you spot a tick, remove it as quickly as possible and in the right way”. A tick full of blood is easily visible, but ticks only just starting to feed are harder to spot.

First things first, don’t panic! You need to remove the full parasite and its head can be buried in your dog’s skin. Use a special pair of tweezers, and disinfect the wound afterwards. Drown the tick in medical alcohol. Be sure to keep an eye on your dog’s health (for example, check his body temperature) over the next few days. So be vigilant!

Advanced Pipettes: the best protection

Preventive action remains by far the best method of defense. Some places are known to harbour a high density of ticks, so do not go there with your pet.

Some cautions to take for yourself: when walking in the woods, wear a light-coloured pair of trousers instead of shorts, and tuck the legs into your socks on which you can spread a tick repellent. This will prevent ticks from latching directly onto you and keep the few that may not be repelled visible. When enjoying an autumn picnic, always lie on a blanket and not directly on the grass. Remember ticks can be very small and it will always be easier for you to notice these parasites on light fabrics. And make sure you check yourself when you get home. The sooner you remove ticks, the better!

The good news is that recent research has led to major progress in protection for dogs. New products with proven effectiveness are now available, including the latest generation of pipettes. Their ‘hot foot’ effect prevents ticks from taking hold: they fall off and die before they can even take a bite.

“This new generation of spot-ons is like garlic to vampires: deadly” smiles Dr Jean-François working in Paris. They repel the ticks once they get in contact with the treated dog. More than 90% of the ticks will fall off the dog and die before they have a chance to start their blood-meal.

Round-nozzled pipettes allow an easy line-on application. Choose a product which is immediately effective and long-lasting – one month – the best bet for sure protection. Opting for a product which is effective against multiple parasites avoids the need for multiple treatments. With a single pipette, you can now protect your dog against ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, sandflies and stable flies.

Since ticks can be transmitted from one pet to another, don’t forget to protect your dogs, even if they don’t go out very often. And then make the most of those sunny autumn walks, with total peace of mind.

All products are not equal in front of external parasites.

Only Advanced Pipettes are active against fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and more, altogether. Advanced Pipettes act very fast to avoid parasite bites and disease transmission; they don’t just kill parasites after a while, but can repel them: oral parasiticides and many other pipettes don’t. Advanced Pipettes act directly on the pets’ coat, without any need to infiltrate their blood flow: again, oral parasiticides and some other pipettes don’t.

So, ask your vet for the Advanced Pipette protection!